Kathryn enjoyed having breakfast with a bigger group than usual, this one decidedly more feminine than the usual gang around the table. Dana, Laurie, and Julian didn’t stick around after demolishing the spread as if it were a trough. Though eager to be back in the swing of the investigation, she found concentrating on work was a lost cause.
Jake’s casual wardrobe somehow made him sexier. And the way he dove into full-on operational mode made him even more attractive. How is that even possible? His hand rubbed her knee, and heat surged across her cheeks.
Thank God everyone’s eyes were on him. She sipped her cold juice, praying she’d cool off before someone noticed her odd rosiness.
“If we can verify how they’re getting their information, we can push the trap. Couples who are on the outs. Ones where there might be a big payday if the military member suddenly became deployed.” Jake tore a hot muffin in two, sliding a knife of butter across the steaming half before taking a bite.
“No.” Zach shook his head. “Nothing sudden about this MO. They have to be better thought-out than that. People are being picked through. Prime candidates are decided on.”
Jake picked up muffin number two. “I know it sounds unlikely, but base chaplain?”
Kathryn checked her reconstructed notes. “Doubtful. The three we know of were of different faiths. I mean, base chaplains can serve all faiths, but one service member had a strong connection with his family rabbi, so I can’t see this guy dishing any marriage dirt to a stranger. That eliminates a common thread. But,” she flipped further in her notepad, “yesterday I was working on building a search using the same basic premise, to see how many overinsured service members we might be talking about. I got a ton of hits. Some are easier to eliminate because the deaths, though overseas, weren’t in contingency areas. And I also brought in a list of those that met all the criteria, who happen to still be alive. Cross referencing both lists, I’m up to about a hundred fifty-three, most active duty, but some reservists on active-duty status.”
Ben spoke up next. He and Ed had done a divide-and-conquer on the lists of UMOs. “We’ve pretty much crossed one off the list because the position has been vacant. Two other UMOs were working the bases in tandem. We’ll keep digging.”
Zach helped himself to another croissant and asked Kathryn, “Is there anything else you need? You don’t have a car right now.”
She was about to accept when Jake said, “I’ve got a Range Rover that’s all gassed up and ready to go. It’s yours if you like. I can load your phone with the apps for the gate and the house.”
Zach gave him a frown. “Well, hell, Jake. I’d like a Range Rover. Or the least you could do is gas up my car, since getting out here is like going on friggin’ safari.”
“Well, maybe,” Jake said, grinning at Zach. “If you do for me what Kathryn did, we just might have a deal.”
Everyone’s eyes popped, Kathryn’s widest of all.
“I mean,” Jake said as his smile grew, “she did save my life, after all.”
Everyone laughed as he gave her a playful glance.
* * *
As the day flew by and should have been winding to a close, Kathryn’s momentum came to a screeching halt. What the hell? She looked through the information again. Then a third time.
Rattled at what she’d found, she searched the house, following the echoes of laughter to the largest office on the first floor. She knocked on the door frame, and all the men looked back at her.
“Hey,” she said shyly. “Jake, can I steal you for a moment?”
“Sure.” He stood up from his laptop and followed her outside to the large deck. “What’s going on?” He caressed her shoulders, rubbing out the tension as they soaked in the sunny view and the crisp air.
“I’ve been refining my search, and now I have a good list of candidates. Mostly women. All likely beneficiaries.” She sucked in a deep breath. “Who’s Chelsea Anders?”
His hands dropped from her shoulders as he moved next to her, bracing himself against the wood railing and staring off into the distance. “Was she one of them? A beneficiary?”
Kathryn took an eternity getting the smallest word past her lips, reconsidering her initial thought of yes. “Maybe. I can’t be certain because it looks like the final signature never happened. But the system was set up like the claim was going to be processed anyway. Technically, it looks like it had been processed, then pulled back. But I can’t find policy payments. And if an insurer canceled the policy, returning any premiums paid is the industry standard. I can’t find a trace of that either.”
He stood up and headed back into the house. “Look, I need to check this out. Personally. Find out what happened, and—”
“I completely understand,” Kathryn lied, hating that he was leaving, and full of questions.
Why can’t the king of cyber investigating check on this here?
Where is this person?
Who is this person?
“I’ll be back.” With a quick peck to her lips, he left.